1014 results about "Surface contour" patented technology

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide apparatus and methods for altering the flow and pressure differential of process gases supplied across a showerhead of a processing chamber to provide improved deposition uniformity across the surface of a substrate disposed therein. In one embodiment, a blocker plate is disposed between a backing plate and a showerhead. In one embodiment, the distance between the blocker plate and the showerhead is adjustable. In another embodiment, the blocker plate has a non-planar surface contour. In another embodiment, a regional blocker plate is disposed between a backing plate and a showerhead. In another embodiment, a central blocker plate and a peripheral blocker plate are disposed between a backing plate and a showerhead.

An apparatus, system and method for use with a photolithographic system. In accordance with one embodiment, the photolithographic system of the present invention includes a workpiece support member for supporting a semiconductor wafer. A substantially transparent cover member is disposed over the workpiece support member to form a substantially enclosed workpiece cell therebetween. The enclosed workpiece cell is filled with a first immersion fluid having suitable refractive properties. The cover member, having suitable refractive properties, includes an upper surface contoured to form an open reservoir containing a second immersion fluid, having suitable refractive properties, and in which a final lens element may be immersed during a lithography process.

A custom arthroplasty guide and a method of manufacturing such a guide are disclosed herein. The guide manufactured includes a mating region configured to matingly receive a portion of a patient bone associated with an arthroplasty procedure for which the custom arthroplasty guide is to be employed. The mating region includes a surface contour that is generally a negative of a surface contour of the portion of the patient bone. The surface contour of the mating region is configured to mate with the surface contour of the portion of the patient bone in a generally matching or interdigitating manner when the portion of the patient bone is matingly received by the mating region. The method of manufacturing the custom arthroplasty guide includes: a) generating medical imaging slices of the portion of the patient bone; b) identifying landmarks on bone boundaries in the medical imaging slices; c) providing model data including image data associated with a bone other than the patient bone; d) adjusting the model data to match the landmarks; e) using the adjusted model data to generate a three dimensional computer model of the portion of the patient bone; f) using the three dimensional computer model to generate design data associated with the custom arthroplasty guide; and g) using the design data in manufacturing the custom arthroplasty guide.

A custom arthroplasty guide and a method of manufacturing such a guide are disclosed herein. The guide manufactured includes a mating region configured to matingly receive a portion of a patient bone associated with an arthroplasty procedure for which the custom arthroplasty guide is to be employed. The mating region includes a surface contour that is generally a negative of a surface contour of the portion of the patient bone. The surface contour of the mating region is configured to mate with the surface contour of the portion of the patient bone in a generally matching or interdigitating manner when the portion of the patient bone is matingly received by the mating region. The method of manufacturing the custom arthroplasty guide includes: a) generating medical imaging slices of the portion of the patient bone; b) identifying landmarks on bone boundaries in the medical imaging slices; c) providing model data including image data associated with a bone other than the patient bone; d) adjusting the model data to match the landmarks; e) using the adjusted model data to generate a three dimensional computer model of the portion of the patient bone; f) using the three dimensional computer model to generate design data associated with the custom arthroplasty guide; and g) using the design data in manufacturing the custom arthroplasty guide.

A positioning apparatus for guiding resection of a patient tissue and guiding placement of a prosthetic implant component in a desired implant position with respect to the resected patient tissue and method of use are described. A locating block includes a mating surface contoured for mating contact with the patient tissue. A cutting plane indicator provides a physical indication of a desired cutting plane for the resection. A placement indicator is spaced apart from the locating block and includes a component-contacting feature. An elongate spacing arm is operative to space the placement indicator apart from the locating block. The spacing arm is configured to place the component-contacting feature of the placement indicator at a predetermined placement position in three-dimensional space relative to the patient tissue. The placement position predetermination is at least partially based upon pre-operative imaging of the patient tissue.

An anastomotic connector for biological conduits comprises a bio-compatible body having an inner surface contour for attaching an outer surface of a biological conduit therein. In another aspect, the present invention is a method of extravascular anastomosis of at least one biological conduit. The method comprises attaching an exterior surface of the biological conduit to an inner surface of an anastomotic connector. In yet another aspect, the invention is a tool for anastomosis and connection of biological conduit(s). The tool comprises a shaft having a sharp tip for penetrating tissue of a biological conduit and an expanding portion for engaging the biological conduit.

A chromogenic window panel assembly, and a chromogenic skylight each includes an outer panel and a chromogenic member having an optical property which varies according to an applied signal. A chromogenic light pipe includes a light harvesting member and a chromogenic member having an optical property which varies according to an applied signal. A chromogenic vehicle sunroof, a chromogenic aircraft window assembly, and a chromogenic window assembly each includes a panel having a particular panel contour corresponding to a surface contour and a chromogenic panel having an optical property which varies according to an applied signal. A chromogenic block includes two panels and a chromogenic panel having an optical property which varies according to an applied signal.

An apparatus for providing a reference indication to a patient tissue includes a primary locating block having a patient-specific primary mating surface contoured for mating contact with a portion of the patient tissue in a predetermined primary mating orientation custom-configured responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue. At least one mounting feature is provided to the primary locating block. At least one secondary item is configured for selective engagement with the primary locating block. The secondary item is at least one of a noncustomized secondary item and a patient-specific secondary item. The secondary item provides a reference indication to at least a portion of the patient tissue. The mounting feature of the primary locating block is configured for engagement with at least one secondary item in a predetermined secondary mounting relationship. The secondary mounting relationship is custom-configured for the patient tissue responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue.

A stock instrument includes at least one guide interacting feature. A lower instrument surface of the stock instrument is placed into contact with the patient tissue. A guide has a lower guide surface contoured to substantially mate with at least a portion of an upper instrument surface of the stock instrument. A predetermined instrument orientation upon the patient tissue is defined, which is preselected responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue. The guide and instrument are mated in a predetermined relative guide / instrument orientation wherein at least one guide interacting feature of the instrument is placed into engagement with at least one instrument guiding feature of the guide. The guide is moved into a predetermined guide orientation with respect to the patient tissue and concurrently the instrument is moved into a predetermined instrument orientation with respect to the patient tissue.

An implant for installation into a portion of an articular surface includes an implant shell component having a proximal load bearing wall with an outer proximal load bearing surface. A peripheral rim extending distally relative to the load bearing wall may provide a bone-facing distal pocket on the shell component. An inner implant component may be received in the bone-facing distal pocket of the implant such that a proximal surface of the inner component is spaced apart from a distal surface of the load bearing wall. The contour of the load bearing surface may be based on an original surface contour of an articular surface, and the load bearing wall of the shell component may be a deflectable wall, so that the load bearing surface can deflect under an applied load. The space between the load bearing wall and the inner implant may include a compressible fluid such as elastomeric gels.

A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a throughdrying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the throughdrying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the throughdrying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.

A method for creating a 3 D map of the surface contours of an object includes projecting a variety of patterns onto the object, and imaging the patterns as they fall on the object to encode the topographic features of the object. In one embodiment a three dimensional image is taken in a single flash to avoid blurring due to motion of the object. Thereafter a secondary pattern is projected to detect changes in the initial image. The images are processed in a computer program in a manner such that a complete 3D map of the surface of the object is obtained in digital form. Reiteration of the method can detect motional variation such as a breathing human, flexure of a complex mechanical structure, or a stress-strain testing of an airplane, vehicle, beam, bridge, or other structure.

The floor plank is a laminate of two layers of flexible plastic sheet material laminated together in offset relationship to define an offset marginal portion for each of the layers. Each of the offset marginal portions have oppositely facing adhesive coated surfaces. A foam layer and / or a fiberglass sheet can also be included in the laminate structure of the floor plank. The floor plank can conform to surface contours of a floor base. The bottom layer of the floor plank, whether it is plastic sheet or foam, is conformable to surface irregularities of the floor base. A one piece releasable packaging device covers the oppositely facing adhesive coated surfaces of the offset marginal portions.

A system and method for tracking completeness of co-registered medical image data is disclosed herein. The system and method tracks the position of an anatomical reference marker positionable on a patient and an ultrasound probe during an imaging session and co-registers medical images based on positional data received from the anatomical reference marker and the ultrasound probe. Using the co-registered image data, the system and method generates a surface contour of a region of interest (ROI) of the patient, such as a breast. The surface contour is defined to represent an interface between a chest wall structure and tissue of the ROI in a plurality of co-registered medical images. A completeness map of the image data within the defined surface contour during the imaging session is generated and overlaid on a graphic representation of the ROI.

An ophthalmic fluid atomizer configured to safely deliver an ophthalmic fluid, the ophthalmic fluid atomizer including a body having a proximal end, a distal end and a keyed surface contour, a reservoir connected to the body within a cavity of the body, wherein the reservoir contains an ophthalmic fluid disposed therein, wherein the keyed surface contour permits insertion of the reservoir into the cavity when the reservoir is in a predetermined orientation and prevents insertion into the cavity when the reservoir is not in the predetermined orientation. The atomizer further including a discharge plate disposed at the distal end, wherein the discharge plate includes a plurality of openings extending therethrough and a prime mover that transmits the ophthalmic fluid from the reservoir to the discharge plate, wherein transmission of the ophthalmic fluid across the discharge plate generates a plume of ophthalmic fluid along a direction directly toward the eye, wherein the plume of ophthalmic fluid travels unassisted from the discharge plate to the eye and at the eye has a momentum that has a magnitude that is insufficient to trigger at least one of an ocular blink reflex and a lacrimation reflex of the eye, wherein the plume of ophthalmic fluid contains an amount of ophthalmic medicine and the momentum of the plume is such that substantially all of the amount of ophthalmic medicine is received and retained by the eye. The atomizer further including a nozzle assembly attached to the body and a handle assembly comprising a handle, the handle assembly coupled to the nozzle assembly.

Some embodiments of the invention disclose an apparatus for achieving rapid mechanical fusion between two adjacent vertebral bodies by positioning a fusion member with one or more channels between the two vertebral bodies. Once the fusion member properly positioned, one or more needles are passed through the fusion member's channels and advanced into the marrow space of the adjacent vertebral bodies. Each needle has a lumen for receiving adhesive material and supplying said material to the marrow space of the adjacent vertebral bodies. The adhesive material is for adhesively bonding the needle to the adjacent vertebral bodies. In some embodiments, a needle also has various surface contours along its shaft, including angled teeth and backfacing ridges.

A cushioning apparatus such as a pillow which includes an upper pocket with reception cavity for receiving preferably loose or grouped non-integral filler material such as down, fiberfill or fiber-balls and another pocket for receiving additional filler material such as a foam core filler material. The foam core filler material is preferably an integrated or monolithic foam body of, for example, visco-elastic or alternate polyurethane foam. The core preferably has a non-planar upper surface contour allowing for a relatively thin, consistent height upper pocket thickness. The pillow also preferably includes a lower pocket joined about its periphery to the upper pocket such as by way of an intermediate gusset panel with beading and with the lower pocket also receiving loose or non-integrated filler material and with the bottom surface of the core preferably having a convex surface such as one symmetrical with the top surface.

A method of forming a device including a plurality of micron or sub-micron sized features is provided. A master having a surface contour defining a plurality of features is provided. The surface contour of the master is coated with at least one layer of material to form a shell. The master is removed from the shell to form a negative image of the surface contour in the shell. The negative image in the shell is filled with material, for example, polycarbonate, polyacrylic, or polystyrene, to form a device having features substantially the same as the master. The negative image may be filled using injection molding, compression molding, embossing or any other compatible technique.

A steerable optical arrangement. The inventive arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In accordance with the inventive teachings, the first prism and / or the second prism have at least one surface contoured to correct for optical aberration. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle phi and nod the beam at an angle theta. At least two surfaces at least one prism is contoured to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symmetric aberration. The contour is effected by laser etching, micro-machining or optical thin-film coating of the prisms in the manner disclosed herein.

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing custom contact lenses and molds is provided wherein a reconfigurable mold has a cavity including deformable surface that is deformed by an array of actuators to define a specified surface contour that will result in a desired wavefront. The specified surface contour may be imparted to moldable material deposited in the cavity, and the array of actuators may be repositioned to optimize the vision correction provided by the custom contact lens. Methods of using the reconfigurable mold to manufacture custom contact lens molds also are provided.

A partial resurfacing implant for use in repairing an articular cartilage defect site that includes a top articulating portion having a top surface that is configured with at least one radius of curvature to approximate the surface contour of the articular cartilage surrounding the defect site. The implant also includes a supporting plate that has a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface is attached to the top articulating portion by a locking mechanism. The bottom surface of the supporting plate is constructed to facilitate the insertion of the implant into the defect site. Extending from the bottom surface of the supporting plate is at least one implant fixation portion. The at least one implant fixation portion is integrally connected to and is oriented about normal relative to the bottom surface. A method of repairing an articular cartilage defect with the partial joint resurfacing implant is also disclosed.

Osteoarticular allografts are transplanted by techniques which ensure substantial surface contour matching. Specifically, surgical techniques are provided whereby a plug from an osteochondral allograft may be transplanted to a cavity site which remains after a condylar defect is removed from a patient's condyle. In this regard, the present invention essentially includes placing an osteochondral allograft in substantially the same orientation as the patient condyle, and then removing the transplantable plug therefrom and forming the cavity site in the patient condyle while maintaining their relative same orientation. In this manner, the surface of the transplanted plug is matched to the contour of the excised osteochondral tissue.

A magnetic linear displacement sensor. In accordance with one embodiment, the displacement sensor includes a Hall transducer element having a sensor plate surface and at least one magnet having a lengthwise dimension along which said Hall element detects a magnetic field component orthogonal to the sensor plate surface during displacement sensing. The magnet includes first and second pole faces disposed on opposite lengthwise sides thereof and a polarization axis aligned orthogonally with respect to the lengthwise dimension. The first pole face opposes the Hall, element and is characterized as having a non-planar surface contoured to generate a substantially linear orthogonal magnetic field component sensed by said Hall element during linear displacement sensing.

An imaging device capable of capturing depth information or surface profiles of objects is disclosed herein. The imaging device uses an enclosed flashing unit to project a sequence of structured light patterns onto an object and captures the light patterns reflected from the surfaces of the object by using an image sensor that is enclosed in the imaging device. The imaging device is capable of capturing an image of an object such that the captured image is comprised of one or more color components of a two-dimensional image of the object and a depth component that specifies the depth information of the object.

A high-performance image-forming optical objective lens made compact and thin, particularly in the object side direction, by twice folding the optical path by means of two prism lenses longitudinally separated and arranged in an angular relationship to one another. The prisms have entrance and exit faces each of which is constructed of a curved surface having optical power, as well as having a rotationally symmetric polynomial aspheric attribute. The image-forming optical objective is particularly suited to helmet-mounted applications wherein the angular means for folding the optical path provides for an optical objective configuration that closely conforms to the exterior surface contour of the helmet, while providing a minimal forward projection in object space from the helmet.

Powder spreaders suitable for use with layered manufacturing processes are disclosed in which a strip of flexible material of a width which spans the powder bed is used to spread, level, and, optionally, compact deposited powder to form a layer of the powder bed. The strip surface moves relative to the deposited powder it is spreading as the working portion of the strip, i.e., the portion of the strip that is in contact with the powder, traverses across the powder bed so that it can provide lift to the powder in front of it and, optionally, compaction to the powder below it. The working portion of the strip can be configured to have its leading and trailing surface contours to be different from one another, and, optionally, to have these contours and its bottom edge contour be independently adjustable. Layered manufacturing systems comprising such powder spreaders are also disclosed.

An apparatus for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth has a double telecentric optical system disposed to form an image of the surface of the tooth onto an image detector array. A focus adjustment mechanism is actuable to adjust the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions. A control logic processor is in control signal communication with the focus adjustment mechanism to adjust focus position, and is in image data communication with the image detector array for receiving image data obtained by the image detector array and with a memory for storing the received image data corresponding to each of the sequence of focus positions. The control logic processor is further responsive to stored instructions for computing 3-D surface contour image data from the image data.

The invention discloses a front-facing camera mounting structure of a mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal adopting the mounting structure for mounting a front-facing camera. The front-facing camera mounting structure comprises a display assembly and a camera module arranged in a manner of overlapping with the display unit, wherein a lens of the camera module is oriented in the direction of the display assembly, and a light-transmitting hole through which light can pass is formed in the display assembly at a position corresponding to the lens. By overlapping the camera module with the display assembly, the space occupation of the camera module on a display surface of a terminal can be effectively reduced, the screen ratio of the terminal is increased, a non-display region of a display screen is arranged at the back surface of a display region, thus the display surface contour of the display region is the contour of the display screen, the display space is not occupied by any other structure, and the effect that the whole surface of the display screen can display images is achieved; and the mobile phone adopting the display assembly can realize the full-screen display of the front surface of the mobile phone, thereby realizing the ultra narrow frame and even frameless effect, and enhancing product expressive performance.

The invention is directed biopsy site markers and methods of marking a biopsy site, so that the location of the biopsy cavity is readily visible by conventional imaging methods, particularly by ultrasonic imaging. The biopsy site markers of the invention have high ultrasound reflectivity, presenting a substantial acoustic signature from a small marker, so as to avoid obscuring diagnostic tissue features in subsequent imaging studies, and can be readily distinguished from biological features. The several disclosed embodiments of the biopsy site marker of the invention have a high contrast of acoustic impedance as placed in a tissue site, so as to efficiently reflect and scatter ultrasonic energy, and preferably include gas-filled internal pores. The markers may have a non-uniform surface contour to enhance the acoustic signature. The markers have a characteristic form which is recognizably artificial during medical imaging. The biopsy site marker may be accurately fixed to the biopsy site so as to resist migration from the biopsy cavity when a placement instrument is withdrawn, and when the marked tissue is subsequently moved or manipulated.